The Edge of Sanity
by Imipak
Summary: A crossover fanfic between the Kimiverse and Alan Garner's "Weirdstone of Brisingamon" books. A knowledge of Alan Garner's work is not necessary to be confused by the story. The story is rated for mild violence and for dramatic effect.
1. The Legend

Chapter 0: The Legend

Disclaimer: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Rufus are owned by Disney Corporation* and created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy, whose Earthly identities are Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. All other characters (and all imagined locations) are owned by Alan Garner, apart from those from those created by his grandfather or sourced from ancient British mythology. Real-life locations used are owned by some combination of the National Trust, English Heritage and possible descendents of a druid sect. All else is a combination of my rather deranged imagination after far too much coffee.

*Disney Corporation might well have also been created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy and are kindly asked to not point those super-disruptor laser cannons in my direction.

Once upon a time a farmer from Mobberley, mounted on a milk-white horse, was crossing the Edge on his way to Macclesfield to sell the animal. He had reached a spot known as the Thieves' Hole, and, as he slowly rode along thinking of the profitable bargain which he hoped to make, was startled by the sudden appearance of an old man, tall and strangely clad in a deep flowing garment.

The old man ordered him to stop, told him that he knew the errand upon which the rider was bent, and offered a sum of money for the horse. The farmer, however, refused the offer, not thinking it sufficient. "Go, then, to Macclesfield," said the old man, "but mark my words, you will not sell the horse. Should you find my words come true, meet me this evening, and I will buy your horse."

The farmer laughed at such a prophecy, and went on his way. To his great surprise, and greater disappointment, nobody would buy, though all admired his beautiful horse. He was, therefore, compelled to return. On approaching the Edge he saw the old man again.

Checking his horse's pace, he began to consider how far it might be prudent to deal with a perfect stranger in so lonely a place. However, while he was considering what to do, the old man commanded him, "Follow me!"

Silently the old man led him by the Seven Firs, the Golden Stone, by Stormy Point, and Saddle Boll. Just as the farmer was beginning to think he had gone far enough he fancied that he heard a horse neighing underground. Again he heard it.

Stretching forth his arm the old man touched a rock with a wand, and immediately the farmer saw a ponderous pair of iron gates, which, with a sound like thunder, flew open. The horse reared bolt upright, and the terrified farmer fell on his knees praying that his life might be spared. "Fear nothing," spoke the Wizard, "and behold a sight which no mortal eye has ever looked upon."

They went into the cave. In a long succession of caverns the farmer saw a countless number of men and horses, the latter milk-white, and all fast asleep.

In the innermost cavern heaps of treasure were piled up on the ground. From these glittering heaps the old man bade the farmer take the price he desired for his horse, and thus addressed him: "You see these men and horses; the number was not complete. Your horse was wanted to make it complete. Remember my words, there will come a day when these men and these horses, awakening from their enchanted slumber, will descend into the plain, and in a battle thrice lost and thrice won will drive the enemy into the sea. Go home in safety. Leave your horse with me. No harm will befal you; but henceforward no mortal eye will ever look upon the iron gates. Begone!"

The farmer lost no time in obeying. He heard the iron gates close with the same fearful sounds with which they were opened, and made the best of his way to Mobberley. Despite searching many times, neither he nor any other person ever saw the gates again, save Nell Beck and they said she was mad. 


	2. The Edge

Chapter 1: The Edge

Disclaimer: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Rufus are owned by Disney Corporation* and created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy, whose Earthly identities are Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. All other characters (and all imagined locations) are owned by Alan Garner, apart from those from those created by his grandfather or sourced from ancient British mythology. Real-life locations used are owned by some combination of the National Trust, English Heritage and possible descendents of a druid sect. All else is a combination of my rather deranged imagination after far too much coffee.

*Disney Corporation might well have also been created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy and are kindly asked to not point those super-disruptor laser cannons in my direction.

Kim and Ron climbed over a crumbling, ancient stone wall, keeping close to the ground. In front of them were some thin woods, open ground and the top of an ominous-looking abandoned quarry. Such was the feeling of evil resonating from the quarry, it seemed almost to lurk in the darkness.

"Why do evil places always lurk ominously?" Ron complained. Rufus popped out of a pocket and "Uh-huh!"-ed before diving back in.

"Ron, we're trying to be stealthy here," Kim whispered back.

Ron grumbled but continued slithering forwards awkwardly, snagging his clothing repeatedly but otherwise remaining quiet. Or, at least, quieter than an elephant would have been, Kim thought. She never quite understood why she liked Ron so much; he was such a liability on these missions. On the other hand, she couldn't imagine a life without his clownish antics. She brushed aside such thoughts, arguing to herself that she wasn't an expert in psychology and missions weren't safe places to play at being one.

A rumour of something strange had led them to being here, but neither really knew what it was they were looking for or, indeed, where to look or how to know when they'd found it. But this feeling of extreme evil made it clear that they weren't here by accident or for nothing. There was something malign on this lightly-wooded hilltop. Kim's biggest concern, beyond discovery, was whether it was this hostile presence that had been leading them. Was this an opportunity or a trap?

Working their way to the edge of the old quarry, they looked down and saw in the sporadic moonlight that it was partly flooded. They could see nothing else for certain. The feeling of something corrupt had become more intense, though. Almost solid, though not quite.

Liquid, Kim thought. Liquid evil. The lake at the bottom is liquid evil. That doesn't make sense, but it's the only way to describe it.

She edged away and Ron followed gratefully. "Did you see anything?"

"No," she sort-of lied. Lying didn't come naturally to her, but an enemy that wasn't solid wasn't on her repertoire. She had no means of dealing with it and a panicked Ron wasn't going to help matters. On the other hand, she rationalized, I don't know that the lake is the enemy. If I tell Ron it is, when it's something else, I won't be telling him the truth. Besides, I might end up worrying him over nothing.

She thought back to the previous night. She and Ron had come over to England on a vacation with her parents and annoying (but occasionally useful) brothers. They had been invited over by the British Library in return for Kim and Ron saving a collection of priceless paper documents from Mad Christopher "Chippy" Chips, who had wanted to turn the complete collection of ancient writings into fish-and-chip wrappers. No big. He was a minor villain, even as minor villains went.

That evening, though, she had heard the legend of the Sleepers of Alderley. Just one of many such legends in a country filled with legends of all kinds. Normally, it wouldn't have even piqued her curiosity. Under any other circumstance she wouldn't even have been there, storytelling evenings weren't her scene. It had been a series of accidents that caused her to be there, accidents she'd later realize, weren't so accidental.

However, right now she was there and trying not to obnoxiously fall asleep. Looking round, sleep suddenly seemed the least important thing to be doing. The reaction of a few antiquarians, in particular, concerned her. Tell-tale body-language that this wasn't just a story-time for credulous visitors. They were scared of something.

However, for all her questions, she was able to learn little of substance and less of interest. A description of a few bizarre ancient artefacts, long-since sent to museums, and a report of some freakish weather fifty or so years ago. It was clear, though, that something seriously bothered - even frightened - these people.

Just as intriguing, Wade had been able to turn up nothing further. Nothing at all. Archives of newspapers from England had blank spaces where an article had been. Museum records that should have described the finds were wiped. Aside from unverified rumours and unsourced alleged photographs from a couple of anonymous bloggers, no information existed. Not even the conspiracy theorists were touching these stories, which was a first.

Again, under normal circumstances, she'd leave it at that. These people weren't asking for help and were not apparently in any danger. There was no indication of anyone in distress and nothing seemed obviously out-of-place. Only a gut feeling told her to investigate and - despite all logic to the contrary and with no explanation even to herself as to why she was doing so - she went with it.

And so, she found herself persuading Ron to leave the warmth and safety of inside for some exploration that might turn out to be nothing. That's what she had thought then. Now, having seen... something, she was convinced that something real and threatening was present, even if she didn't quite know (or understand) what.

They moved back into the woodlands, then - on a whim - turned along a narrow trail and crept along it. An old man, staff in hand and dressed in clothes more suited to an earlier age, stood about a hundred yards ahead of them. He was looking away, but they could not tell what at. They stopped, not wanting to disturb this unknown person until they knew more.

Rufus popped out to see what the non-fuss was about. "Weird!" he chirped, following their gaze.

Finally, the man moved from where he was standing, moving along another trail. The three of them waited a moment before following a safe distance behind, working to keep the man in sight despite the trees, brush and occasional sharp dip in the ground.

The old man eventually came to a well on the side of the hill. Water ran from a crack in the rock into a stone basin on the ground. A rock wall on two sides, a gigantic holly bush on a third and a slightly thicker patch of trees blocked the view from the farmland beyond the hill. The old man tapped the crack in the rock and it split in two to reveal a set of iron gates. He reached out and the gates swung open silently.

Kim and Ron looked on amazed. This was NOT something they had expected. Ron's mystical monkey powers had exposed them to the idea that the mundane world was not all there was to life, but it's something else entirely to see mystical powers be used with such a casual air as if it was the mystical that was ordinary and the mundane the freakish. Ron tried to run away but Kim grabbed him. "This is what we're here for!" she whispered.

Ron's eyes showed his fear, but caved in. He always did when Kim asked, mostly out of his strong bonds of affection and loyalty for her, but also because she would be going in and would likely need him. There was also the factor that she was usually right and they usually were needed, and there was some hero in Ron no matter what he ever said or did. If there had not been, he wouldn't still be going on these missions.

Quickly, before the gates could close, they followed in. Worrying about being detected, at this point, seemed stupid. There was no way they'd be able to enter this place on their own or unobserved. The evil feeling they'd had from the quarry wasn't present here, so they gambled on it being safe to be seen. If it wasn't, well, they could worry about that later.  
The old man turned around on hearing the children enter the tunnel beyond the gates. "As careless as Susan and Colin, I see, but as brave. Perhaps you will do. You will have need of that courage before the night is out."

Kim and Ron blinked. Rufus ate a cheesy nibble he'd found, not particularly bothered by this turn of events. Kim and Ron, on the other hand, were. They didn't recognize the names, although the old man looked as if they should mean something. Further, Ron was trying to crawl through the solid rock wall on the side of the tunnel, as the gates and rock had quietly sealed off any escape that way moments after they had stepped through. His efforts did not appear to be very successful, though.

"Please, follow me. I doubt you will understand much of what you will see, and that is good. Your kind has gone its own way and the less mixing of the worlds the better."

Kim's eyes narrowed. Although not hostile - indeed, the old man seemed to pity them - she bristled at the thought of someone treating her as less than able. Her mind was racing through the experiences of the past day for any subtle clues as to his purpose.

"How does this relate to the stories we heard earlier? Were you involved in that?"

"You are indeed observant. There is a connection. Others felt your help was needed. As I felt involving humans in these matters would be foolish at best, they chose to encourage you to involve yourselves. Unwise as I feel it to be, you are here now, and perhaps there are deeper forces at work here. It would be less wise still for me to interfere further."

Kim was not impressed. Rescuing those not wishing to be rescued was never an enjoyable task - less so when she was being kept in the dark as to what she was rescuing them from, who it was she was rescuing, why, or even where. It had taken her only moments, however, to see astonishing levels of intelligence, wisdom and compassion in the old man. She was prepared to indulge him for a while.

They had travelled a distance underground at this point and it was very obvious this site was not on any map. It was equally obvious that this man possessed some sort of mystical power, from the way he opened the rock and gate and, from his attitude, it was also obvious that his powers were quite considerable and very much under control.

Ron's powers, in comparison, were temperamental and still in their infancy. Assuming it was the mysterious lake that was the threat, she also had doubts it would be overly terrified by monkey kung fu. Beating up liquid, as she remembered from her few forays into cooking, was largely ineffectual. What, then, could they do? Particularly if they weren't exactly welcome by their allies.

Ron, on the other hand, was unconcerned about such details. The glowing green rocks, pulsating very slowly, at first had scared him. Green was Shego's colour, after all. However, this didn't seem a hostile green. It seemed almost friendly. Weird but friendly. Almost peaceful. He wasn't used to peaceful on missions, and bounced wildly between nervous and relaxed. Jumping at every new shadow, but soon calming back down. Friends eventually meant food, enemies eventually meant screaming. Between now and either a date with his stomach or his paranoia, he could afford to split the effort between the two.

Unknown to him, the calming, soothing magic of the place was having an influence on him. His experience with mystical monkey powers had left him receptive to certain forms of power, such as the one pervading this place. It also affected Kim through an ancient heritage long forgotten in the realms of man.

They entered a cave with skin rugs strewn across the floor. It didn't look as comfortable as they were used to, but Kim and Ron sat down anyway. There didn't seem to be anything else to do.  
The old man faced them, his face etched with worry. "As I said, I was not in favour of involving humanity in this. However, you are here and I will tell you what you need to know. This is a world of great danger to your kind and although I am told you each have great skills and great powers of your own, I fear for your ability to confront the Morthbrood."

"I think you'll find we're better able to take care of ourselves than you think."

The old man nodded. "I hope so. the last humans I worked with, Susan and Colin, were equally strong in determination and proved themselves many times. However, they had the Old Magic to draw upon. From what I hear, you have between you human-limited but impressive dexterity and a mystical fighting spirit that is still undeveloped."

His look turned serious. "The Morthbrood have shape-shifting powers, control of many kinds of birds, the armies of the Svart Alfar, High and Old Magic and other ancient evils they can call upon."

Ron was starting to look uncomfortable, as the long list of opposing forces was spoken. Fighting Drakken was one thing - especially as it usually involved hiding behind something and watching Kim and Shego fight it out. This didn't sound like a situation where hiding and watching was an option.

Kim was starting to feel a bit out of her depth as well. Reflexes were all fine and good, when dealing with one opponent with bad aim or a few thugs with no aim at all. Particularly as her reputation was enough to instil a degree of terror in the thugs.

The only other opponent of note, Shego, had no real intent of beating her as that would end the only worthwhile rivalry and entertainment Shego had. Shego wanted the battle to go on, although she'd doubtless prefer winning more often. Armies of powerful beings who were not the least fazed by her reputation and had no interest in her still breathing tomorrow - that was something else.

Kim spoke up at last. "So far, you haven't said who you are, why we should want to fight this Morthbrood or why your mysterious colleagues manipulated us into being here. What's the sitch? The whole sitch."

The old man sighed. "Very well. I am Cadallen. I am the keeper of this place, Fundindelve, where twelve pure knights sleep in a magical sleep until the world needs them, which will hopefully not be for many a lifetime. Susan and Colin were humans who helped rescue Fundindelve from the forces of the Morthbrood, but human lifespans are so short and they are no more."

He paused. "The Morthbrood is a coven of the most evil of witches and wizards and their power comes from a being of pure evil that is - for now - sealed off from this universe save for his malign influence on others. The Morthbrood have discovered that a person of this land but known to you, who is steeped in the evil side of mystical powers from the far east, can open a gateway that will release this being from his prison. You must stop them."

"What about you?"

"I am not invulnerable and can be defeated in battle. As cold as it may seem, I must stay here to awaken the knights once the prison door opens. And it will, someday. If I fall, then the sleepers will never awaken and evil will triumph. Yes, billions could die if you fail, but there are billions upon billions of worlds, each with as many lives upon them, and not one will survive if the sleepers never wake at all. I am a prisoner of fortune, trapped in these caves and a few steps beyond, for perhaps many aeons, for just one purpose. The other major powers of light, the Lios Alfar, are trapped in isolated pockets in mountains far away. They cannot help you, even if they wanted to. Their prisons are not by choice, but by what humans have called progress, and many harbour resentments as a result."

"How is progress harming anyone? Knowledge has both saved lives and improved them."

"That is a discussion you will need to have with them, just know that they will not aid you willingly. Of the rest, the spirits of the Old Magic - they might help you, they might not. Theirs is not a power of reason, but of the heart, and their magic is from a time that was crueller than today."

"But it's good, right?" Ron interjected.

"Good and evil are more modern ideas. The Old Magic is divided between Light and Dark, true, but these do not correspond to anything you would understand by 'good' or 'evil' today. The most that can be said is that it exists."

He paused to consider how best to explain. "What is called High Magic is mystical power intended to serve a purpose. It has an aim, a function; the risks and results are known. The Old Magic is a raw form of mysticism; it has no purpose as you would understand purpose. It is driven by needs, desires, angers, no more directed than the wind and just as deadly as when a storm is unleashed."

"Rewind a little. The person from here who has powers from the far east, that would be Monkey Fist." Kim noted. "How does Ron's Monkey powers fit in with this Old Magic?"

"I do not even know if it does. Your monkey powers," he said addressing Ron, "are much newer and are designed for a purpose in much the same way as High Magic. It taps into deeper currents, primal currents in which the Old Magic lives, but how it connects - or if it does - is beyond my knowledge."

He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "However, it is the only mystical power you can access right now. You might find others, you might not, but your monkey powers will be a part of this in some way. What that way is, or whether it will be for good or ill - that you will only learn through experience. There is nothing more I can do but council you to be aware of the power and the powers around you. That, and no wisdom I can teach you, will decide the outcome."

"What is it that we can do to stop this Morthbrood, anyway?"

"I do not know that either. I do not know if you can and, as they are masters of changing form, I do not know if you will be able to even tell who they are or who is friend and who is foe."

"So we're being asked to stop an army of mystics of unimaginable power, backed by creatures of unimaginable number, who are trying to reach a being of unimaginable evil. No big."

Cadallen smiled, a warm smile for the first time. "The way ahead is darker than it has ever been for you, but it is not hopeless. If it were, you would never have been guided here at all. The stories were taken to you by people wiser in such matters than I, and they would not have done so had there been no hope. This place is filled with secrets, long-forgotten by even the wise, and I have learned myself never to underestimate humanity. You are not helpless, even if you know not how to help."

Kim did not feel especially comforted. To avoid being killed by the unknown, she would have to first discover some other unknown, in a place unknown to her, whose unknown powers could protect her from the unknown mystic powers she faced. If what she was hearing was correct, and she was sceptical of much of it, she would be confronted by an army of Shego-like and Monkey Fist-like beings. She could fight one, or even two or three, beings with extraordinary intelligence and power. Were this story even half-way true, she would soon be meeting hundreds, perhaps thousands, of such beings. Again, assuming the story to be true, she could not depend on being able to see them, reason with them or distract them. This was going to be one difficult sitch.

Ron, on the other hand, was absolutely terrified. Kim might be able to fight the Smart Alfalfa, or whatever they were called, as they sounded like the sort of henchmen she could beat with her eyes closed. The Moth boot, on the other hand, sounded alien, horrible and worse than all the other enemies he'd ever encountered combined. The mystic monkey power, he gathered, might be something he could use. But it hid from him a lot, and it was monkey stuff. He was scared of monkeys and anything to do with them. He hid from the power as much as it hid from him, no matter how brave a face he'd put on when it might make a good show. 


	3. Fundindelve

Chapter 2: Fundindelve

Disclaimer: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Rufus are owned by Disney Corporation* and created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy, whose Earthly identities are Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. All other characters (and all imagined locations) are owned by Alan Garner, apart from those from those created by his grandfather or sourced from ancient British mythology. Real-life locations used are owned by some combination of the National Trust, English Heritage and possible descendents of a druid sect. All else is a combination of my rather deranged imagination after far too much coffee.

*Disney Corporation might well have also been created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy and are kindly asked to not point those super-disruptor laser cannons in my direction.

Kim spoke up. "Who are you and what have you got to do with what is going on outside?"

"I will attempt to explain what you need to know, but for all the gates are shut, it isn't safe here. We must go further in."

Ron stuck up a pseudo-brave pose. "Why not let us out and explain at the nearest place that serves nacos?"

The old man sighed. "You may well have felt a sense of evil over the hill. The sun is long-since down and you were lucky to have survived on foot. There are many things abroad that have no love of man and your lives would be in considerable danger were you to step outside in ignorance."

"We have some experience of danger."

This elicited a slight smile. "I have... become aware of some of your adventures and you are both..." Rufus popped out... "...all three of you are formidable in your own ways. As I will show, these skills will be of much value to you. But I think you are aware that not all enemies are physical and not all weapons ordinary. Please, follow me. I doubt you will understand much of what you will see, and that is good. Your kind has gone its own way and the less mixing of the worlds the better. However, you will learn enough that you will be able to understand something of the dangers and hazards, how to recognize them and how to not be trapped."

"Who are you to decide what we'll need to know? Or what we can understand?"

"How do we know you're not behind all of this, whatever this is?", Ron interjected.

"Unless you plan on staying here many lifetimes, I could not tell you everything I knew, even if it would mean anything to you. Much of it is also unsafe in any hands. I do not limit what I say to cause you suffering but to prevent it. I was displeased that others rejected my council to not involve humans in these affairs and am afraid for your safety now that you are involved. As for whether I am behind it, do you truly need to ask?"

Suspicious but without any real evidence the old man meant any harm, without any obvious threats to counter, and absolutely without any real alternative in direction, Kim and Ron followed the man down a maze of tunnels, all with this green glowing rock. Eventually, they entered a cave with skin rugs strewn across the floor. It didn't look as comfortable as they were used to, but Kim and Ron sat down anyway. There didn't seem to be anything else to do.

The old man faced them, his face etched with worry. "As I said, I was not in favor of involving humanity in this. However, you are here and I will tell you what you need to know. This is a world of great danger to your kind and although I am told you each have great skills and great powers of your own, I fear for your ability to confront the Morthbrood."

"What makes you think we cannot defeat them?"

"I have mentioned to you before the last humans I worked with, Susan and Colin. They were aided by great magical forces and powerful beings, yet often came within a hair's bredth of being defeated through the greater numbers and greater experience of the evil forces arranged against them. Your strengths, though great in human terms, may not be great enough."

"This is the second time you've mentioned these people, but they're not people we know."

"Susan and Colin were humans who got entangled in this world nearly fifty years ago. For reasons I still do not fully understand or agree with, they were given artifacts of great power which drew them away from their own world into ours. It placed their lives in considerable danger and, as happens to many such heros, their lives were eventually measured in deeds rather than years."

"And what is this Morthbrood? and the Svart Alfar?"

"The Morthbrood - it is enough to know that you will not recognize them by how they look but by the most subtle clues in how they act. They have what you would describe as mystical powers, but along with the power to change their shape at will, even the weakest wields weapons every bit as deadly as the one you know of as Shego. The strongest can twist time and space, and alter the very fabric of reality. Some have even gained a degree of immortality. Had you stepped back into the night and encountered such a being, you would have been lost."

The man poured himself a cup of water and sipped it, gesturing that the guests could likewise help themselves to any food or drink in the room. Kim was cautious but decided that the water was the most likely thing to be safe, so helped herself to some. Ron hunted for nacos, nachos, or even just cheese. There wasn't any. Nor was there really much to drink. He opted out, reluctant to touch anything and frustrated by the lack of cheesy snacks and sweet sodas. Rufus opted for a bowl of water, both for drinking and doing some laps for exercise.

"The Svart Alfar are a different breed. They rely on evil cunning, surprise attacks and numbers so massive as to intimidate their foes. They have a love of the dark, in which they can see as clearly as you can in the day. They also have a love of holes in the ground, dark corners and the entrances to the many abandoned copper mines, which have become their lairs. What they lack in bravery, they make up for in the use of terror."

"There are other enemies out there, shapeless creatures like the Brollachan, which are of the Old Magic. They exist not on an intellectual or even physical plane like yourself, with thought and form, but on a much lower plane of existance that contains the base emotions alone. They feed off the higher life as parasites feed off more complex forms. You may have seen such a creature in the Old Quarry, earlier."

Kim remained skeptical. "You are saying a lot without saying much at all. Were you behind the thing in the quarry? If it's so dangeorus after dark, why did your friends not tell us in advance? Why were you out there, if you're as afraid as you say."

This brought a laugh, though a mirthless one. "To understand even the most basic facts, you had to first see what you would be opposing. To not understand would have been lethal, whether or not you ever decided to help us, as the evil forces would have worked to ensure no knowledge at all survived. As for the others giving you the hints and rumours that led you here, remember I was opposed to such a choice. I had no wish to expose you to the dangers and feel it is folly. But now it is too late. You have seen and heard enough that they will work for your destruction no matter what choice you make."

Ron turned whiter than normal and Rufus' "Oh Boy!" was clearly heard over the silence that followed. Kim then considered her choice of words. "You've avoided saying why you were out there. You've also implied you are alien."

"I am not human, no, but I am born of this world. Make of that what you will. I am referred to as a wizard in your tongue, but I am of a line of beings of this world that have humanoid shape and can consume similar foods, but have nothing else in common. The Morthbrood are from the same race as myself, but whereas I do not seek power, dominion or control, they seek all three and belong to a sect that place these above all else. The Svart Alfar and the Lios Alfar are what you would call elves in the Common Tongue. They are not as you humans have often depicted them, but are tall, slender and follow a code of honour that is feudal. They have also lost any empathy for individuals and even those who are good are swifter to kill when they feel danger than is normal amongst modern humans. There are other races out there, but remember that your society has diverged from theirs over a thousand years ago and none of your assumptions of how people are or should be have any meaning now."

Cadallen paused. "As for why I was out there, you would never have made it as far as Fundindelve, even had you known where it was and had the power to open the gates, without my presence. I must needs be careful, it is true, but the Svart Alfar have little courage as I have said. They were not going to openly attack you with me near. Indeed, even without my power, they would not have attacked me with you near."

This talk of wizardry wasn't impressing Kim much. Between Shego's energy blasts, Gill's mutations, Monkey Fist's mutations and mystic powers, fanatical super-fast robots and countless other forms of mayhem, she certainly accepted that the world wasn't straightforward.

On the other hand, given those experiences, she saw little need to imagine that there were countless races that lived a secret, parallel existance to everyone else. It seemed to her that nothing she had heard so far required anything outside of her experience. Admittedly, her experience was much wider than most people's, and many of those would find her tales equally fantastic, but until she saw evidence to the contrary she would remain skeptical. Wary, on alert for mystical hazards, but skeptical.

Rufus and Ron, on the other hand, were convinced that there were untold dangers and hardships. Mind you, that wasn't too unusual. On the other hand, for all that it was limited, there was food here. Given the possibility of danger versus the certainty of food, it took little to convince either of anything.

Cadallen beckoned them to follow him into an antechamber. Rufus reluctantly got out of his swimming pool and lept into Ron's pocket for the journey. In the chamber, Kim's opinions on the sitch changed dramatically. In front of them, there were twelve men and twelve milk-white horses. All as still as statues, but audibly breathing. Very, very slowly. One breath lasted several minutes. Kim and Ron went over to take a closer look. There was no question about it, these were flesh-and-blood and not artificial.

The men were in some kind of outfit that looked ancient to them. Eleven of the horses likewise seemed very archaic, somehow, and were standing next to the men. The twelfth horse looked modern somehow and stood a little further away. The legends of the Sleepers became far more real, something based on fact regardless of whether the details were correct.

Cadallen then led them through another windy set of tunnels to a stone door. "This is the Hollygate entrance to Fundindelve. Both entrances are well-known to your adversaries and are likely watched. However, there is much you will need to do tonight if you are to succeed, and this entrance is closer to the road you will need to take."

Ron wasn't keen on leaving. "What road? Why not wait until morning, if it's so dangerous at night?"

"There is a road, which you must find, which lies not far from here to your east. Do not travel on the paved road, but across country. You will see the road only when the moon shines on it, which is why you must leave now."

"What do we do when we get to it?"

"You must follow the road towards Shining Tor, to your north. On the road, you must find the Hunter. I can answer your questions no more, he is the only one who can help you now."

With that, he touched the stone doors and it swung silently open. Kim and Ron stepped out and the doors swung closed, leaving them in darkness.

"This is so not good", Ron complained.

"It's one of the more... unusual sitches", Kim agreed. "Keep low, in case there really is some danger out there. It'll take a while for our eyes to adjust and if any of what we were told is true, then right now they can see us and we can't see them."

Rufus poked his head up and whimpered. Ron looked like he wanted to be able to dive into the safety of Rufus' pocket himself.

"Remember, stealth, not panic," Kim urged. "We don't even know if there's any real danger, but there might be and we need to be careful."

Whilst they waited, Kim had an idea. She flipped open her kimmunicator, with the screen away from her so it wouldn't affect her night-vision. She got close to the microphone and whispered to Wade. "I'm pointing the phone away because I need to see the sitch here. I need an IR scan of what's right in front of me, and I need you to dig up what you can on someone called The Hunter, a group called the Morthbrood, and a group called the Svart Alfar."

Wade whispered back. "Sure, give me a few."

With the connection closed, Kim shut the Kimmunicator and slipped it into a secure pocket. Her vision was slowly improving and she could see the outlines of the trees and bushes nearby. So far, she'd not heard any sounds other than a crow cawing as it flew away.

"Wait. That made no sense. Crows are not nocturnal and don't fly around at midnight."

So maybe the place had been watched and the watcher was off to summon help. If so, this would be a dangerous place to stay in. It wasn't the only possibility, but Kim wasn't in any mood to stay and find out. If they needed to find the road, they didn't have long, which meant little or no spare time for any potential battles.

Kim pulled a nervous but grateful Ron out of the gully they had emerged in. They moved quickly and relatively quietly along the path, with Ron tripping over almost none of the tree roots or rocks. Steering clear of the main road, as advised, they moved through thin woodland instead. "Fast and silent is so much easier over open ground", Kim thought to herself.

They thought they may have seen shadows moving around, in the distance, but weren't certain. What was certain was nothing had obstructed them so far. However, their luck didn't continue for much longer. As they moved past a dip in the ground, three dark grey, swarthy figures emerged in front of them. The figures were between five to six feet in height, were somewhat scrawny in appearance and had large eyes that glared balefully. Each carried a large stone hammer. Kim was no expert, but the hammers looked to be very heavy yet the figures wielded them with surprising ease.

Kim crouched as Ron yelped and ran behind a nearby tree. The figures spread out so that they could approach Kim on the left and right as well as in front. Initially, they approached cautiously but moved faster and apparently bolder as Kim stayed put. To Ron's relief, Kim lept at the last minute, using the shoulders of the figure in front as she might use a bar in the gym, to flip higher and further. She had guessed, from the apparent weight of the hammer, that the figure could easily bear her weight as well. In this, she was completely correct.

She had also guessed that this move would surprise the attackers and disrupt their coordination. In this, she completely overestimated their courage. The figure she had vaulted from snarled and span round, but didn't move. The one that had been approaching from the left backed away - only to be clobbered unconcious from behind by Ron who had, by this time, found a stout branch which could be wielded like a club. A "right on" could be heard from the inside of a pocket in his direction.

The third figure, on seeing these events, sprinted back into the depression and vanished into a hole in the ground which neither Kim nor Ron had noticed. The remaining figure looked round, saw he was outnumbered at this point, and also ran.

"If these are the Svart Alfar, Cadallen understated how easily frightened they are", Kim observed.

"Seemed easy enough, we've been in tougher fights than that."

"Yes, which makes me wonder why he was so concerned."

They soon found out. After edging their way cautiously through wooded lands, they reached a relatively clear stretch with no cover at all. Maybe 500 yards ahead, they could see some rocks which glimmered oddly whenever the moon peeked through the thickening cloud cover. Surrounding the edges of the woods, however, were several thousand of the creatures. There were larger forms amongst them, but the limited light made it hard to see what they were. Two seemed human in size and shape, though.

Ron gulped. "Ok, now I know. Can we go home now?" 


	4. Hunting The Hunter

Chapter 3: Hunting The Hunter

Disclaimer: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Rufus are owned by Disney Corporation* and created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy, whose Earthly identities are Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. All other characters (and all imagined locations) are owned by Alan Garner, apart from those from those created by his grandfather or sourced from ancient British mythology. Real-life locations used are owned by some combination of the National Trust, English Heritage and possible descendents of a druid sect. All else is a combination of my rather deranged imagination after far too much coffee.

*Disney Corporation might well have also been created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy and are kindly asked to not point those super-disruptor laser cannons in my direction.

There were no words spoken by either side. The creatures in the open fields were silent, armed and ready but had not apparently seen Kim or Ron yet. They knew that these humans would have to cross the gap, that they would have to do so where the Svart Alfar army stood and that they need risk nothing by marching into defensible territory. If the moon set, the humans would be denied the road, for although the Svart Alfar could not bear sunlight, the road could not be reached except in moonlight.

Kim's Kimmunicator decided at this point to start beeping. "Wade, what's the sitch? I need help getting past an army of somethings", Kim whispered softly in the hope Wade would catch on that this was a dangerous time.

With the Kimmunicator turned to face the enemy, Kim's eyesight remained attuned to the dark. More importantly, Wade could see the sitch. In many respects, it was a good thing Kim didn't see Wade's eyes bulge or see him narrowly avoid spitting soda over one of his computer keyboards. It's also good Ron didn't, as he might well have laughed loudly, exposing their position.

"Kim, the Hunter is the name given to a Celtic nature god. There's a hot debate as to whether he was seen as a man with the horns of a stag, or was thought of as fully half-man, half-stag, much like the mythological centaur. There's nothing else really known about him. There's nothing I can find out there on the Morthbrood at all, apart from one line in a top secret Government file which read "Do not approach, avoid at all costs". Svart Alfar is an old Norse word meaning Dark Elf. Usually, but not guaranteed to be, evil."

"What do you make of that glimmer ahead?"

Wade digitally enhanced the image. "It's a road, but it appears to only exist when the moon is shining on it. Wherever there isn't moonlight, it's just uneven regular ground."

"We need to get past them. The moon sets soon and we won't be able to see the road we need to be on once that happens if you're right."

Wade thought for a moment. "They can't handle light. Do you have a flare gun handy?"

Kim smiled. "Wade, I owe you. Ron, close your eyes tight for a moment. It's going to get a little bright."

"What are you doing, Kim?"

"There are two options. The first is that, when they're temporarily blinded, I play hopscotch over the dark elves like before and get to the road. That will leave you here." Kim noticed Ron considering the advantages of this. "Alone with Rufus. With an enraged army surrounding you."

Ron blanched. "What's the other option?"

"When they're blinded, I start a fight and open up a gap. You'll need to get through it to the road and find this Hunter guy."

"That does not sound good."

"It's no big. They're not as fast as Shego."

"But some of them can do a lot worse."

Kim smiled. "Not when they can't see what they're aiming at."

"Won't they attack me once I'm on the road?"

"They seem to be avoiding where we think the road is, so maybe not. But they'd attack you for certain if you stay here."

Ron couldn't turn any whiter, so opted for a light bit of quiet whimpering instead. "I'll do it."

Kim drew her hand-held hair-dryer-turned-launcher and replaced the grappling hook with a large flare cannister. Covering her eyes and turning to face away, she fired over her shoulder into the sky roughly in the direction of the middle of the enemy forces. Ron had buried his face in his arms and the side of a tree.

As the flare turned night into a temporary day, Kim and Ron could hear a great scream of rage, despair and frustration from the dark elves. If the other creatures called out, their sounds were drowned by the sheer numbers of angry and frustrated warriors.

Taking the opportunity, Kim ran forwards, leaping into the air and running across the shoulders and helmets of the Svart Alfar. Hands grabbed at her, but were always far, far too late. She used flips, somersaults and cartwheels to avoid spear thrusts but also to further turn all attention onto her.

It did not take long for the pushing to begin, as the organized force disintegrated into a near-riot. The two human-like figures, having lost all control of the situation, fled unobserved. Although no clear path had formed, Ron could see Kim couldn't keep this up forever and would have to escape soon. "It has to be now", he told himself. Gathering the little courage he had, he used what stealth and skill he'd learned to avoid getting turned into mulch and finally made it onto the road.

The moment he did, the sounds of the riot stopped suddenly. He could still see it, but not so much as a murmur reached him. That changed when a cloud obscured the moon for a moment. The sound returned in full and the road vanished. He threw himself to the ground and waited. As he had hoped, the moon and silence returned.

"That's how we'll have to do this, " he said to Rufus. "Each time the moon goes, we hit the deck." Rufus rubbed his head and blew a raspberry at Ron.

Ron ran up the rocky but straight road as fast as he dared, keeping low to the ground in case he had to make an emergency dive. Given the choice of gravel burn or death at the hands of maniac hammer-wielding creatures from a fantasy novel, gravel burns sounded quite nice at this time of year.

Fortunately, the moon remained visible for the most part and he only picked up some minor scrapes. He'd fared worse, and he even still had his pants on. This was definitely a good sign in his opinion.

On and on the road seemed to go, climbing now but not so steeply that it particularly bothered him. When he took a short break to get his breath back, he saw that he had left the fight far behind. He hadn't noticed, without the sounds of anything nearby to guide him, how far he had traveled. What he did notice, right now, was that his shadow seemed to contain antlers and that there was the sound of a pawing hoof behind him.

"Who disturbs me this night?" The figure behind Ron spoke quietly but with authority.

"Uhhh, that would be me." Ron spoke a little nervously.

"Turn around." The voice brooked no disobedience so Ron complied. The figure that stood before him was that of a horned man riding on the back of a white stag, where the boundary between man and stag shifted continuously. The man carried a large spear that blazed with light.

"Why do you come here?"

Ron didn't feel threatened, per se, but did feel that any answer other than the truth (and quickly) could see him skewered by this horned giant. He opted for the truth, explaining about the legends they'd heard, the meeting with Cadallen and the trouble with Monkey Fist.

The figure didn't seem overly concerned with Ron's rushed words, but seemed rather to be staring through him as he talked. Ron didn't notice, being rather used to being ignored at school. However, the Hunter was not ignoring Ron. He was watching the semi-sleeping Mystic Monkey power within him.

"Cadallen said you could help us", Ron finally finished lamely.

The Hunter stared at - no, through - Ron. "I am the lord of all creatures, all that is animal, and the Wild Hunt."

"Then you can help us?"

The figure looked impassively at Ron, then walked off in silence. The moon set, the road vanished and an eerie silence where there should have been the noise of battle weighed menacingly in the air.

Ron looked wildly around, then ran back down the hill. "Kimmm!" Tripping over several times on stones, he got as close to where he left Kim as he dared. Still there was nothing but silence. No sound of the Svart Alfar, no sound of Kim either. Other than a babbling brook nearby, there were no sounds at all.

He looked out in despair at where the hordes of Svart Alfar had roamed earlier. There was nothing to be seen. No bodies was a good sign, possibly, but by this time he was frantic. The sun was just rising over the horizon, but he failed to notice in his state of mind. Had he done so, he would have realized he must have been on Shining Tor for several hours at least and not the minutes that he felt.

He ran over the fields, both hoping to see Kim at any moment but also hoping not to. Seeing her unconcious, injured or worse would have been too much. He continued running. Eventually, he reached the shore of a small lake. A small island could be seen in the middle of it. On it, there was a figure lying on the ground, too far to make out clearly. He waded, then swam, across the lake to the island and crawled up the bank, his fears working overtime. They merely doubled when he saw the figure had long, red hair and a figure he knew very well.

"Kim!"

The figure didn't stir. Ron ran over, trembling, then fell to his knees when he reached the prone form. Crying, hoping that she was ok, he reached out. Kim opened her eyes. "I had the strangest dream..." she started. Then, "Ron, are you ok?"

Ron tried to speak, too relieved to get words out had his mind been in any state to form any, then fainted. 


	5. The Dream

Chapter 4: The Dream

Disclaimer: Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable and Rufus are owned by Disney Corporation* and created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy, whose Earthly identities are Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. All other characters (and all imagined locations) are owned by Alan Garner, apart from those from those created by his grandfather or sourced from ancient British mythology. Real-life locations used are owned by some combination of the National Trust, English Heritage and possible descendents of a druid sect. All else is a combination of my rather deranged imagination after far too much coffee.

*Disney Corporation might well have also been created by super-intelligent beings from another galaxy and are kindly asked to not point those super-disruptor laser cannons in my direction.

Kim fought the Svart Alfar as she would fight any enemy - with an intensity that defied belief and a skill that few could match. Fortunately for her, the few that could match it weren't wielding stone hammers that night.

It had not taken her long, however, to figure out that she could not keep this up forever or even until daybreak. She was startling them, scaring them, but not defeating them. Knocking out three or four didn't even begin to make a difference to their numbers and the larger forms were beginning to move in.

She had given Ron all the time she could, she had to trust that it would be enough. Leaping up from the shoulders of a larger Svart, she was able to grab the branches of a tree and swing into it. The shuddering feeling told her that the tree was not long for this world if she remained in it and that she would share the same fate if she fell.

Climbing up further, she was able to find a branch she could use to swing to a nearby tree. Not a moment too soon, to judge from the sound of a tree trunk crashing into the ground. The woodland quickly thickened, making it necessary for her to head back to the ground. However, you can't move an army through thick undergrowth and the few Svarts who did catch up with her quickly discovered that this was not a good career move.

Nonetheless, she knew that if she didn't escape the woods quickly, she'd be surrounded and there was no possibility of any gymnastics under these trees.

Just then, she caught sight of something to her right. A slowly spinning wheel of flame in the air. As certain death held no appeal to Kim, she took the only option open to her. She dived through the wheel.

Feeling a wrenching sensation, she understood that the spinning wheel had indeed been the portal she had assumed. The sensation faded and she found herself on the ground but nowhere that she recognized. She could hear water running and quickly discovered she was on an island. A glance at the moon told her it was maybe a few days earlier, though it could just as easily have been many years in the past or future. Her Kimmunicator had no power so she couldn't ask anyone else.

Incomprehensibly, she felt safe, secure and extremely tired. Her adrenaline rush of just moments earlier seemed to have vanished into thin air. She lay down and slept.

In her dream, a woman dressed entirely in white handed her a necklace whose pendent was a figure of a woman. She accepted it and put it on, only for the dream to fade to darkness.

When she awoke, it was daylight and an anxious Ron was standing there. He was a bit of a mess, but probably no worse than herself. 


End file.
